Extraction
by Lovisa Devereux
Summary: James POV. Meeting Billys father. "You couldn’t even finish what I started.” He laughed, a deep belied laugh but he made sure it never drew attention. Billys fingers began to tingle, the heart I was borrowing began to skip beats. Something was changing.


_Helen fled from my thoughts as soon as my body began to tense. It was to the point where every movement heightened my awareness and everything mattered. I watched a fly pass me in the hall, its wings fluttering far too fast to be noticed. Akin to light. A small smile played upon my lips; most flies only lived 24 hours, but I had been much luckier. This bond suddenly snapped when I saw an officer swat the fly away. Briefly, I wished I was Light, so that maybe I could avoid this, but deep down I knew it was right. Even with Mitch by my side I couldn't think beyond….anything._

_That flies fate had been sealed, just as mine was to be._

_I took a deep breath and watched as the man Billy was supposed to call father stepped into the room._

_Bedraggled, the mans hair had grown out to almost his shoulders. A beard over took his full jaw, which still had traces of recent bruises. He looked thuggish, but broken._

_The plastic scraped on the floor as he dragged the chair backwards, never lifting his eyes to ours. We were invisible to him. _

"_Let's get the fuck out of here."_

_The sea of bodies around us blurred at the edges, faces became uniform- unidentifiable. Mitch hung back, his body emanating resentment. Nothing clouded my judgement; I had no moral dilemma or worry of consequence due to my coming actions. Rather than hinder me, Billys body seemed to mould itself around _me_ and not vice versa, awaiting my lead. Something was changing. The man hung his head, but as soon as I spoke his head snapped up as though his hair had been dragged at the root._

_His eyes misted over when he focused on Billys face, the one that covered my own. His jaw clenched, a vein in his neck throbbed._

"_If it isn't William."_

_His voice was mismatched to his gruff demeanor. Even though he was a broken man, this much was obvious; he was not used to being powerless. Faded tattoos adorned his arms and at my gaze he flexed and balled his fists._

_I did not answer him, but merely took a seat opposite him resting one of my palms on the bolted down table._

"_I heard about what ya did. I heard you almost fucking crippled yourself."_

_Again, I stayed silent._

"_You couldn't even finish what I started." He laughed, a deep belied laugh but he made sure it never drew attention._

_Billys fingers began to tingle, the heart I was borrowing began to skip beats._

_Something was changing._

_His father was a sick man, intent on destroying and feeding his ego. I blinked twice, and turned to the window. Billys reflection gazed back at me, before placing one of his hands on the glass._

"_You'll look at me when I'm talking to you boy!"_

_I turned back quickly, truly curious now as to how far this man would go._

"_I pity your son. And your wife."_

_He blinked, and stared at me._

"_I also pity you, for you have no clue as to what destruction you reap not only to others but yourself. This sentence you serve here won't be your only one."_

_A tremor ripped through his body, so I stood. Billy was no longer at the window._

" _For everything, thank you. Truly, from the depths of my soul. While you rot here, I shall be spending everyday waiting for news of you. And not the good kind."_

"_Why the fuck are you talking like that? Billy you're one crazy son of a bitch. The guys heard rumours but fucking hell, the kids lost it!" He leant forward, changing his reclining state. "Do me a favour kid, and fucking pop a few more pills."_

_Billys fists clenched, but it wasn't me. I began to feel lightheaded, my feet every so slightly unsteady…my mouth opened and I found myself uttering words I would never have spoken in front of my Helen._

"_Fuck you."_

_A hand clasped my shoulder._

_Billy._

_No one else in the room could see the spirit, no one could have guessed that at that moment pain tore through my left side, a fire so hot that it felt as though the blood boiled. I felt myself peel away from the flesh, my fingers lifting from his marrow. Billy slipped effortlessly into his shell._

_And I was thrown out._

_My light attached itself to the air, to the dust. More weightless than before I had lay into his body_

_But I didn't go anywhere. God did not call to me, Diggs did not find me. My soul did not find true peace._

_I watched as Billys eyes flickered and his heart pumped furiously._

_During the transition, his father had attacked him again and the jolt had been enough to call Billy back to himself. All I had felt was the burning of me shedding his body._

_I smiled, knowing that Billy would never leave his body again. He was where he was meant to be, but what was my destination?_

_I could not stand to be without Helen, to wander around the field marking paces until dawn. _

_The last thing I saw before I moved away as light, was Mitch run into the room and help Billy to his feet before Policemen pulled him away from his brothers attacker._

_Helen._

_She flooded my mind, my being. I was drawn to her but I could not go to her._

_My vision grew bleary. I gave myself up. I pulled myself from the dust, the air, the leaves and the buildings. I did not fear._

_And then, through the haze I heard Diggs call my name._


End file.
